The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-10-27
THE 6Bth ILL.
A Question Concerning It's Service Clearly An.
swered.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Not long since
saw in your columns an inquiry as follows:
did the 65th Ill. rs an organization ever 90
into active service; and If it.did, what battles
was il engaged in?" NY answer 10 the COM
rade who is seeking information concerning
regiment Of which i was member during its
life as an organization will be rs brief as the
facts will permit. The Goth Ill. was mustered
into service in April 1862, aud served in the
field from that time until the war was over
having yeteranized in the field-except that
having been surrendered at Harper's Ferry in
September, 1862 il did not 20 into active serv-
ice again until in May, 1863. For very con-
vincng proof Of its service from the Spring Of
1868 until the close Of the war / refer the in
curing comrade TO the inclosed letter from our
old division and finally corps commander, Gen.
J. ID. Cox, which ask you to publish rs part
of this answer After he has read it am sure
he will be convinced that the Goth Ill. made a
record for active service.
/ will add for his further information, and
for the information Of others who may be in
terestcd in the history of the war Of the rebel
lion, that the members Of the regiment insist
that at the battle of franklin, Tenn, the Goth
III. killed and wounded greater number of
the enemy than were killed and wounded by
any other regiment in the National army in
any other battle of the war except one, and
that one the 65th Ind, which was IN the same
brigade. The two Gjths were in what a writer
in the Southern BipOuac has styled " Easements
celebrated brigade" which brigade the writer
] speak of says KILLED more men at the battle
of Franklin than were killed by any like num-
Der of men in any other battle of the war. -
OLIVER w. CASE, Co. c, Goth Ill, st. Louis, Mo.
GEN. coX's LETTER.
CINCINNATI. Oct. 5, 1887.
MY DEAR SIR: can hardly think it possible that
ANYBODY at all Intelligent regard To the history
of the civil war should have seriously questioned
the activity of the field service OF the 6jth Ill.
When 1 joined the rwenty-third Corps, in De
cembcr. 1863 found the regiment in IL, IL having
shared the battles in East Tennessee under Burn
side aud the memorable siege Of Knoxville The
regiment vcteranized during the Winter of 1865
ana reoined the command on June 4. 1864. during
the Atlanta campaign. From that time out II
shared la ali tho engagements OF that famous cam
pagn and the succeeding one in the chase AFTER
Hood when Atlanta had fallen.
When Sherman marched TO the sea the Twenty
third Corps was ordered 10 join Gen. George Ill.
IhOmAsin the Tennessee campaign against Hood.
eliminating i'm the great battles of Franklin and
Nashville, in all OF which the 65th III. had an hon
orable and an active part.
After the battle of Nashville the corps was or
dered 10 Washington, and. thence by the ocean &c
Fort Fisher aud again the 9th ILL., took part in all
The active service and engagements of the campaign
IN North Carolina, including the capture OF Fort
Anderson. battle Mt Old Town Creek, capture o
Wilmington. battle of kinston, taking of Colds
borough aud Raleigh, and the final surrender o
Johnston nj Greensboro, n. G.
was no; personally acquainted with the service:
OF the regiment prior 10 the East Tennessee cam.
paign. but can truthfully say that Of my personal
knowledge from the Summer Of 1868 10 the end o
the war IL would be hard TO find a regiment more
constantly under fire than the 65th III was, and 1t:
duty was always done with honor 10 itself
Ii would have been great pleasure To have beer
nj The Reunion and TO have met the comrades o
the stirring campaigns have noted above
Faithfully. yours, J. ID. Cox,
o. w. CASE ST. Louis. Mo.